Reviews439 total reviews with an average rating of 3.5

Overall Experience:
The classes are excellent because of the small class sizes and lots of connection with your professors. The social atmosphere is a little lacking - it is hard to find a niche if you aren't a cookie cutter catholic school kid - but eventually I did because there are some unique individuals, you just might have to look a little harder for them.

Off-Campus Housing:
Bellarmine holds a housing fair that brings in different apartment companies/landlords/etc. for students considering living off-campus. However, some of these tend to be a little expensive. If you're just looking for a basic apartment with a few friends, there are also little books laid out around campus that advertise apartments and houses. The Highlands where Bellarmine is situated is a pretty safe area. Most apartments and houses have street parking. Sharing an apartment 5 minutes away from the campus with three other people, I'm paying about 230 a month in rent, not including internet, electric, and food. This is much cheaper than living on-campus!

Off-Campus Dining:
Bellarmine University is right off Bardstown Road. There are countless fast food restaurants, bars, local restaurants, coffee shops, ice cream shops, etc. Many places also deliver directly to Bellarmine if they aren't in convenient walking distance (or you need pizza/chinese/subs at one in the morning). A lot of students frequent Shenanigans. The Comfy Cow is also a great place for ice cream.

Scholarships:
Bellarmine is extremely expensive, even with the scholarships. The tuition hikes up with each passing year, but they usually also increase the scholarships/grants alongside these changes. However, the end result is still that you end up paying more out of pocket. The financial aid office is knowledgeable enough (and gives out free food on holidays, just as an FYI). I've never really had a problem with anything to do with financial aid, except on instances that you've done something wrong in your application for aid. Then it just shows that your application is incomplete/wrong, but they do not tell you how to fix it. You have to call and search the answer out yourself.

Campus Food:
The food is average, and it's pretty much the same thing available every day. Also, everything in Horrigan can get pretty expensive. They need to put up a Taco Bell or something instead of that pricey Mexican place that barely anyone uses.

Campus Housing:
Regardless of what some people might say about living in K-New (the freshmen dorms and two of the oldest buildings on campus), it isn't terrible at all. The school has absolutely remodeled the bathroom and the kitchen area, and there is computer/printer access in the basement. It clearly isn't as fancy as the Sienas or Anniversary, but I think a lot of the stigma towards K-New finds its roots in the upper-class white kids who tend to apply with Bellarmine. These are dorm rooms, not luxury hotels. You have internet, heat, air-conditioning, a window, desks, beds, lots of storage, and the option to bring in fish or turtles. Laundry is also free.

I stayed in the Sienas during my sophomore year, and while they're definitely more expensive than K-New and also further away from the class buildings (despite Bellarmine being a small campus in the first place), they're very spacious and new. Well-lit, high ceilings, etc. You can also control the temperature in your individual room and different sections of the halls with thermostats. Overall, neither K-New or the Siennas are slums. But living on Bellarmine is extremely expensive, so most people scramble to find apartments their junior and senior years. (Occasionally, sophomores are allowed off-campus.)

Off-Campus Dining:
Louisville is a great town with LOTS of dining options around the city. There is something for everyone. There is also a growing local food movement happening and several restaurants are dedicated to strict local sourcing while many others source at least some of their products locally.

Administration:
I didn't live on campus for long and therefore never had too serious of a run-in with campus security, plus my RA was very lenient and not around too much. I lived in the Siena Secondo which doesn't have a front desk so that makes it a more lenient environment.

Party Scene:
You just have to find the right group of people. Some Bellarmine parties are more like get togethers which are more my scene. Others are wall to wall people. Both are good for making connections with people in the BU community and getting to know new people.

Off-Campus Housing:
I personally have lived at home with my aunt while in school. I do not have the resources to live on my own in off-campus housing. I have heard wonderful things from fellow classmates who do live off-campus within walking distance of school. They love the area and have had nothing but positive things to say regarding their experience.

Off-Campus Dining:
My university lives within the best area for restaurants and night life. The street I am referring to is within walking distant and has a variety of everything. I do not know of anything that Bardstown Road does not have to offer.

Administration:
Personally I have not had a problem with the campus strictness. I think the rules are set in place for a reason. More than likely if there is a rule prohibiting a certain act, you should not be doing that anyways.